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One definition of folk art might be
a marriage of craft and personality. Folk art communicates the
individual, the idiosyncratic, the homespun. Frequently classic motorcycle jackets were
lavishly and imaginatively adorned with a wide assortment of studs,
rhinestones, geometric shapes, domes, etc. The Joseph Buegeleisen
Company sold decorative
hardware under the Buco brand name as part of its extensive motorcycle
accessory line to retailers. Collectors revere surviving
original Golden Age motorcycle jackets that have been so personalized. Authentic owner-customized
ones are
rare but factory-rendered Custom order extravaganzas, as the Buco seems to
have been in 1953-56, rarer. Several elaborate, stunning examples
of jeweled, studded Buco J24 Horsehide Motorcycle Jackets exist. We had one
twenty five years
ago but condition was so poor we let it go. That one had a plaid cotton
lining as well as, ugh, replacement YKK zipper.
As both technical and artistic
challenge, LOST WORLDS wanted to do this
J23 variant
for years, but it took time to source and manufacture the correct hardware.
For example, originals use plastic rhinestones, ours genuine Swarovski. All
fittings on originals were stampings. We use die cast parts wherever
possible. Despite the qualitative refinement the look and aura of original
Custom J24 fittings is fully preserved. Enhanced. Just look at
this jacket.
Our famous proprietary Lost Worlds chrome-tanned
American Horsehide (avail. 3.0 - 4.5 oz.) is simply the
benchmark for durability, water repellency, natural,
undoctored grain, finish permanence and of course riding
safety. And originality. Genuine 100% Quilted Nylon Lining,
the 50s staple. This J24 is equipment first and foremost. We
don't know any other way. Jackets to ride in, not preen in.
And the cool factor -- off the scale.
The result a different kind
of merger: peerless, awesome LOST WORLDS artisan-grade build quality and
materials wedded faithfully to the classic Buco J24 design.Taken to a
certain extreme, a beautiful, artistic one, OUR extreme. There's wonderful
balance in the way Buco (we think it was Buco) customized. Detailed but not
gaudy. Understatedly overstated. The stones 'n' studs are symmetrical
accents, nothing too much. Our homage ups the ante significantly. It takes
nearly a full workday
for our craftsman to measure, eyeball, set and install the fittings before any
sewing takes place. Most are installed during pre-production, others during.
What emerges is a kind of folk
art. Artisanship with a fantastic, heady whiff of self-invention, the 1950s man of the road as himself mechanical component, man and machine united.
There's whimsy too, but not camp or kitsch, rather dash,
masculine confidence (where has essence been subverted to?). Sometimes,
if rarely, more is less. Like here.You judge a jacket, for example, by its
presence and lack of silliness. A jacket must speak. Most jackets these days
work by an awful ventriloquism -- someone telling you, for his own insecure
reasons, commercial or ego (blog queens), what's good, what's authentic,
etc., but the jacket's mute, limply, flimsily propped up there, like
something beached. Sadly, many seem
ill-equipped to appreciate true Americana like the Buco, forget the
price. One needs an eye for what's real. Of course what's real about
something like the Custom Buco J24 is that it communicates the mythic, the
legendary, the historic. Myth and dream,
whereby this jacket achieves iconic status.
"The J24 looks so awesome on
me. Simply great"
Taiwan, ROC
3.14
"We haven't spoken since I ordered the Leathertogs B last year. I hope all is well. Today I was hit by a deer and ended up sliding down the road and into a ditch. I was in your J23 that I picked up from a friend. The deer was mangled under the bike as I got off. I have to say that the J23 barely has a scratch on it. I was stunned, both by the deer and the jacket. My hand is shredded and my body bruised, but the jacket is ready to go another few rounds. Thank you for the insanely great jacket"
JG
Miami FL
11.21
"I received the jacket.
Absolutely dazzling. Thank you"
B.B
Long Beach Wa.
7.14
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